Tempsford
Timeline
Places > Tempsford
921: The Danish invasion reached as far as Tempsford. A second invasion reached the area in 1009.
1086: The Domesday book lists four mills.
13th Century: Gannock Castle constructed. It was fortified manor house and the site of an important manorial complex. There is a belief that the castle was built on the site of a 10th century Danish Viking fort, based on the fact that the Danes participated in a battle at Tempsford in 921 on the exact location on which Gannock Castle was built.
14th Century: The earliest parts of the present Church of St. Peter date from the mid 14th century and include the decorated work in the west tower and aisles. There is also a 14th century font. Nikolaus Pevsner says "Not much to interest in the exterior, except for the predominance of horizontal banding of brown and buff."
1449: The Chantry House was probably founded between 1449 and 1482 by Thomas Bulle, Rector of Tempsford. A Chantry was an endowment or foundation for the chanting of masses and offering of prayers usually for the founder. Such foundations became a popular form of religious benefaction during the 14th and 15th centuries, ceasing in England with the Reformation. A 1517 document makes it clear that there was a Chantry House standing by that time and this would presumably have been built soon after the foundation of the Chantry.
1736: Timber Bridge built to take turnpike traffic across the River Ouse.
1769: Sir Gillies Payne purchased the Tempsford Estate with part of the family fortune gained from sugar and slaves in the West Indies and built a new manor house.
1776: The Wheatsheaf was established as a public house by this date.
1777: Tempsford Enclosure Act
1804: Methodist Chapel built.
1815 - 1820: A stone bridge built to replace the wooden bridge which had become unsafe (by James Savage).
1831: The present Anchor Public House opened on the 4th July, the original Anchor was mentioned in 'The Torrington Diaries' 1794, by John Byng who called it 'homelike and comfortable'.
1863: Tempsford Railway Station opened.
1867c: At Tempsford Ford a stanch was built a little below the ford so when necessary the level of water could be raised to allow boats to pass.
1869: Village School opened.
1873-74: The body of the church was restored and re-seated by Edward Browning of Stamford. The work was paid for by William Stuart of Aldenham Abbey, whose family also owned Tempsford Hall and the church was re-opened on the 26th May 1874.
1883: The water mill was destroyed by fire in December and replaced by another mill.
1898: In November Tempsford Hall was destroyed by fire, the house was completely gutted and took over three years to rebuild, not being competed until 1903. "Quite a big gabled red-brick house in the Elizabethan style" (Pevsner)
1925: The Stuart Memorial Hall was opened on the 27th July. The Hall was built in the memory of William Stuart only child of Dugald and Millicent Stuart was was killed at the Battle of the Somme in the First World War. aged 20. There was a Gentleman's Room, a Ladies Room and a Lending Library.
1939: The Chantry House, a timber framed building dating back to the 15th century was demolished.
1940: Work on the construction of Tempsford Airfield began in late 1940. In the summer of 1941 the airfield opened under 3 Group who were responsible for Special Operations Executive (SOE) activities until 1945. Prior to D-Day, Tempsford squadrons supplied war material to Resistance forces throughout Europe. During its time at Tempsford 138 Squadron delivered 995 agents, 29,000 containers, 10,000 packages in the course of 2,494 sorties with the loss of 70 aircraft.
1956: Tempsford Railway Station closes on the 5th November.
1963: Airfield site sold.
1965: Tempsford Hall becomes the headquarters of French Kier Construction. After the war the house had been a health farm for a number of years.
1967: The Black Horse Public House closes on the 13th of June and becomes a private house.
1983: The Village School closes.
1992: The White Hart Public House closes and becomes a private house.
1994: Major repair work carried out on the bridge.
2000: The Tempsford Millennium Garden Sanctuary opened on the 10th December.
2001: In September the bridge over the A1 was officially opened (Biggleswade Chronicle, 21st September).
2004: Geophysical survey carried out at Gannock Castle (Bedfordshire Times 16th July).
Page last updated: 4th February 2014